Page 145 - Gulf Precis (V)_Neat

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thinks Mubarak anxious to settle matter, but not prepared to accede to nephew’s proposals
entirely, and wishes matter referred to arbitration under supervision of Wratislaw and Wali.
In view of peculiar status of Koweit, perhaps O’Couorcan arraugc that proceedings should
be attendod by Consul.
297. The following telegram dated the 9th March 1903, was then received No. to.
from the Political Kesidout iu the Persian Gulf, in continuation of his telegram
of 2nd March :—
“ Wratislaw concurs, but thinks with tho present Wali he would not have difficulty
regarding obtaining unofficially voice in tiic settlement. Wiatislnw is awaiting tho orders
of Ambassador before mentioning matter to the Wali, who, it appears, first broached subject
to him.”
298. His Excellency then wired tolcgrain No. 497-E., dated the lltli March No. 67.
1903, to His Majesty’s Secretary of State:—
u My telegram 5th March, Koweit. Wratislaw has informed Kemhall that he thinks
he might easily obtain from present Wali unofficial recognition of bis intervention in settle­
ment, and that he awaits orders of Ambassador before mentioning matter to Wali, who, it
appears, broached subject to him first.’’
299. Mr. Wratislaw then broached the matter to the Wali of Basrah. Tho
Wali stated that in the absoncc of Hamud and Khalid, his two brothers Sabah
and Sawer, would act in their behalf and on behalf of themselves and proposed
that each side should appoint an arbitrator, and bo should himself act as
umpire. After some correspondence an arbitration Court was proposed consist­
ing of 4 arbitrators on each sido. Odc of tho Sheikh’s representatives was liaij
Mansur, who was well versed with tho points at issue.
300. One of the representatives of the nephews of the Sheikh was Abdul
Wabab-ol-Kartus, a strong partisan of their cause. The umpire proposed by tho
Yali was Said Ahmed Pasha.
301. Tho negotiations about the settlement after this are reported in the
letter of Mr. Crowe, Consul at Basrah, to
No. 180 of Secret E, January 1901, Nos. 1-10.203.
the address of Sir O’Conor, dated 23rd
Juno 1903 :—
“ My first interviews with the Wali gavo me the impression that His Excellency was some­
what unwilling to admit my active interference in tve arbitration regarding it as a matter
exclusively within the competence of the Ottoman authorities, and the position of the Con­
sulate as that of the friendly on-looker, whose interests in tho welfare of one of the parties
made it desirable to keep informed of what pass-.d.
In order to disabuse the Wali’s mind of this notion, I sent for the Vilayet Dragomani
and desired him to point out to His Excellency that my locus slandi in the matter was based
on ray official instructions; that, according to them, tho arbitration would be conducted under
tho supervision of the Consulate; that I was not only to bo kept iuform^d of all Bteps taken
hut also to he consulted at all stages of the proceedings: and that, if His Exccllenoy attended
tho sittings of tho Court, 1 was instructed to ho present as well. I asked him to toll the
Wali that 1 desire to 6ce the arbitrators and umpire, as soon as possible, in order to disouss
matters with ihem directly.
I received a messago in reply that His Excellency quite understood the position of tho
Consulate and would keep mo fully informed, but that ho was precluded from writing officially
on the matter, and hoped that, if he mot my wishes privately, it would be sufficient. He
added that there was no question of his attending the meotings at which only the arbitrators
and umpire would bo pre.cnt.
Mubarak’s representatives then called on me, and I explained to them and to Saiyid
Ahmed Pallia, the umpire, whom I visited Inter, that tho Consulate took an active interest in
the conduct of tho negotiations, and requested them to keep mo informed of everything that
passod. They were all of thorn yory sanguino of success, but I was favourably impressed with
Haji Mansur Ciiclcbi and tho umpiro, Ahmed Pasha, who took a sonsible view of tho question
and discussed freely.
When I exchanged theso visits, tho reference papor, which had been sont to the Sheikh
for rectification, had not been roturned and things woro at a standstill. On 24th April, I
called again on tho Waii, us I had hoard that Mubarak had refused to accept the Court a9
it stood, and His Exoollenoy informed me that tho Sheikh objected to Saiyid Ahmad as
umpiro and to two of nephews’ nominoes, one of whom was Abdul Wahab-cl-Kartas, on tho
ground that thoy wero interested porsons, hostilo to himself and openly allied with his enemy,
Yusuf ol-lbrahim. Tho Wali assured mo that Mubarak was neodlossly apprehensive, and re­
marked that tho nephews wero freo to ohooso their own friends to represent them in the same
i